Twitter is about to open up its live video platform, to take on Facebook

Twitter will make it easier for companies to stream live video on its service with the launch on Tuesday of a new set of features aimed at professional broadcasters, Business Insider has learned.

Media organisations and advertisers will be able to stream live video directly on Twitter using professional camera equipment, a person familiar with the matter said. Anyone can stream live video using the Twitter mobile app already, but broadcasters currently have no way of streaming with professional equipment unless they strike a deal with Twitter directly.

To stream live video on Twitter, companies have so far been forced to use the Twitter-owned Periscope live streaming app, which is complex to use with professional equipment and not directly integrated with Twitter. The company’s new interface will let professional broadcasters bypass the Periscope app altogether and stream video directly from their Twitter accounts.

Twitter wants to encourage the creation of more live video on its platform, which in turn could help the company revive its stagnant growth and regain faith from investors, as the company’s stock languishes near all time lows. The move also follows in the steps of Facebook, which announced its own set of live video tools for broadcasters back in April. Twitter’s plan to open up its live video platform was first reported by The Information last week.

Twitter has struck a number of its own live partnerships in recent months, including deals for the NFL’s Thursday Night Football games and financial news shows from Cheddar and Bloomberg. It’s unclear if those select deals will remain a key part of Twitter’s strategy, or if the company will choose to fund more live video shows from publishers like Facebook has done in the past.

A Twitter spokesperson didn’t immediately return a request for comment.